The Humiliation of the Incarnate Son

Good morning, saints of Siwi Bay. It is great to be with you, and it is a joy and an honor to preach for you this morning.

And I bring greetings from the saints of Holy City, the pastors, the elders, the membership on James Island.

There's nothing more necessary in today's day and age than like-minded, healthy churches.

The reality is we live in a world of compromise today, and it was a joy for me to get acquainted with you all and to speak to your pastor

and to just know that the faithful word of Christ is being proclaimed out this way as it is our way.

This morning, thus far, we have worshiped the triune God in at least three ways.

So far, we have confessed the faith. We've used our minds and our voices to exalt the triune God through singing.

We have responded to the goodness and mercy of God through our giving.

And as we come now to the preaching of the word, the apostle Paul tells us in Romans that the word of God preached and proclaimed

is the means by which we have been born again.

Through the word preached, the saving gospel of repentance and faith has come to save us from our sins.

And whether or not that was through our parents, maybe an evangelist, maybe in a church service,

nevertheless, it was God's truth proclaimed that was used by the Spirit

to transfer us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the beloved Son.

It is the word of God preached and proclaimed, not only, but loved and trusted and applied to the saints

by which we are instructed in righteousness, encouraged, admonished, sanctified.

How we endure trials, trusting Christ alone for salvation, and how ultimately we're kept till the end.

Our text this morning will be Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 11.

Philippians 2:5–11

And before we read that and the word is exposited and preached,

I'm going to say one more prayer and ask the Lord to be with us and to bless our time together.

Lord, we love you.

We've come together to worship you on the Lord's day.

The day in which we remember that the resurrection of Christ actually occurred.

Lord, we remember that you are Lord and you are exalted and you are the King.

Lord, please speak, convert the lost, and edify the saints.

We love you, Lord.

In Christ's name, amen.

If you haven't yet, you can turn in your Bibles to Paul's epistle to the Philippians,

Philippians 2:5–11

chapter 2, verses 5 to 11.

Again, Paul's epistle to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 5 to 11.

Philippians 2:5–11

Please stand for the reading of God's word.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,

even death on a cross.

Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Let he who has ears to hear the word of God, let him hear.

Please be seated.

Well, I certainly didn't expect the Baptist Catechism confession and reading

in the Lord's providence to align in particular with our text this morning.

He's kind to do such a thing to remind us he's truly with us.

This text is important.

It's very special.

It's special and important because it is the clearest explanation of the truth

that the eternal person of God the Son became man.

If we get Christ wrong, we end up trusting in a Christ who doesn't exist.

We end up perishing.

And that is why Satan has launched since the apostolic age a full assault on teaching regarding the person of Christ.

false doctrine, false religion, false apostles, Jesus warns, false prophets, Paul warns, the Ephesian elders,

many false prophets will arise even from among yourselves, speaking what?

Twisted things.

Not necessarily immoral things, things that are intentionally wrong.

False teachers, if you want to remember something, remember this.

False teachers use our vocabulary but not our dictionary.

They use the same words and they mean something else.

And we want to be diligent in the whole counsel of God, understanding it.

Reading the Bible is one thing.

Understanding what the Bible teaches is something altogether different, vitally important.

We want to be diligent in understanding what God has revealed to us by his word.

And not just understanding it, not just understanding it to win theological arguments.

No, we want to love him.

We want to have true inward devotion toward him.

We want to know him, love him, and worship him rightly.

We want to trust it, speak it, believe it from the heart.

And we want to apply it to our lives so we can walk in holiness and honoring him.

A saving relationship with Christ is the most important relationship you can have in this life.

He honors the Father because the Father sent the Son and commands that the Son share in that honor.

There are approximately 150 to 200 warnings and references related to false teaching and doctrinal error in the New Testament alone.

It is the constant fear and, in a sense, anxiousness of the apostles who are planning churches,

who are raising up lost people, who are establishing the truth and teaching.

Hey, watch your doctrine.

Watch your teaching.

Hold fast to it.

Don't depart from it.

Love it.

The Apostle John, later in life, inspired by the Spirit, gave us the letter 1 John.

And in 1 John chapter 4, our Father in the faith gives us a warning regarding the theology of the person of Christ.

1 John 4 · chapter mention

In 1 John 4, I'll read it.

You can stay in Philippians.

He says this,

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, spirit meaning person, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.

For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

By this you know the Spirit of God.

Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.

This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world today.

Jonathan Edwards, commenting on this passage in his work,

The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, has argued, rightly, I think,

that the first test of any movement of any church that claims itself to be of Christ or Christian,

or whether or not they're orthodox in their confession, faith, and teaching,

He argued that 1 John, from 1 John, that a right Christological view that is birth of the Spirit leads people to truth regarding Christ and not error.

And moreover, produces genuine love for God.

If we are to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength,

we must know who He has revealed Himself to be.

And when He is dishonored or falsely taught,

we must be bold to clarify the truth and defend that truth.

We remember earlier, from John's Gospel, in chapter 1,

that he laid the theology of the person of Christ,

of whom we are to trust and believe for eternal life in a few ways.

Briefly, I love John's Gospel,

because in the Synoptic Gospels, or Matthew, Mark, and Luke,

it takes a bit of time to see the full glory of Christ and His deity on display.

John is just like, chapter 1, verse 1, Jesus is God.

I love that.

And you see the rest of the storyline unfold from there.

As we transition to Philippians, I want to lay this foundation.

He is the Word.

He is the Logos.

Logos, John doesn't define why he uses that term.

There's a reason for that.

Because the audience, the recipients of the letter,

didn't need a definition for that.

For the Jews, the Logos, they understood,

was the eternal Word of God's power who created all things in Genesis 1.

For the Gentiles,

they had a false Gentile theology

of the same word,

which was our today's unbelieving version of intelligent design,

an agnostic view.

The Greeks understood there is a God,

but we don't know Him.

But we know

that He's omnipotent in power,

created all things.

John says,

Hey, Greeks,

that eternal,

omnipotent,

unknown person

who created all things,

His name is Jesus,

and He became man.

We also learn

that Jesus is distinct

from the Father,

is God,

and is eternal and uncreated.

Jesus, or the Word,

is with God,

and is God.

That word,

with God,

in our English,

doesn't give us

enough information.

In the Greek,

prostantheion,

speaks of

an eternal

love

relationship.

It speaks of

communion.

Eternally,

all three persons of the Trinity

have existed,

being three distinct persons

sharing one divine nature,

in perfect love,

in fellowship,

in communion.

We see that this

eternal Lagos

created all things,

and we see that

this eternal,

uncreated person

who was with God

in perfect loving

community

and relationship,

He took on flesh,

and He dwelt among us.

This is what the Nicene Creed

states about

the divinity of Christ.

We believe in one

Lord Jesus Christ,

the only begotten

Son of God,

begotten of the Father

before all ages,

light of light,

very God of very God,

begotten,

not made,

being of one substance

with the Father

by whom all things

were made.

Briefly on begotten,

not made.

Look,

I understand that's confusing.

Okay?

Because we're not God,

we're human.

This must be understood.

Okay?

Begotten

is only meant

to communicate.

Okay?

The eternal way

that the Father and Son

have loved and related

to another eternally.

The Son is loved

as the Father's begotten.

That is what it's meant

to communicate.

It is not meant

to communicate

in any way

that as to

the three persons

of the Trinity's deity,

one has more authority

or more power

or more attributes.

They are all omnipotent.

They share the,

they share immutability,

impassibility.

They're all omniscient,

omnipresent.

But although they're distinct

and have distinct,

specific roles

in redemption

and how they relate

to one another.

They are the,

the triune God

is the only being

in existence

that exists

as three distinct persons

yet shares

the same divine nature.

Okay?

It is abundantly

clear

that the prophets

foretold

the Messiah

would be God

in the flesh.

Genesis 3.15,

the proto-euangelion,

the first gospel,

it's going to be

a seed of a woman

who's going to crush

the serpent's head.

But,

in Isaiah 7.14,

we see a bigger glimpse

that the sign

of the Messiah,

behold,

the virgin will conceive.

A virgin conceiving.

And his name

will be Emmanuel.

God will be with us.

Later,

in Isaiah 9.6,

we see that exact same

Davidic king's son,

the fulfillment

of 2 Samuel 7

in Isaiah 9.6,

that his name

will be

everlasting father,

mighty God,

prince of peace.

and

the apostles

who lived

and witnessed

the life of Christ,

witnessed him

personally,

proclaim to be

God in the flesh,

and validate

those claims

by his miracles,

resurrection,

and even

the father

himself,

personally speaking

from heaven

on multiple occasions,

affirming

Jesus'

person and work.

briefly on that.

You see the launch

of the

earthly ministry

of Christ

at his baptism.

John the Baptist,

hey,

you need to baptize me.

I'm not baptizing you.

the Lord Jesus

obviously had no need

of showing

any form of repentance

through baptism,

but he did

that to

fulfill all righteousness.

That is to say,

whatever the father

required of man,

Jesus was going

to submit and obey.

And the father

speaks,

all three triune

persons are present

at the baptism

of Jesus.

This is my

beloved son

in whom I am

well pleased.

On the Mount

of Transfiguration,

when the glory

and divinity

of Christ

is peeled back

for Peter,

James,

and John to see,

the father

again speaks,

this is my

beloved son

in whom I am

well pleased.

Listen to him.

When Jesus

enters Jerusalem,

obviously at this

point,

it's very hostile

because

Jesus has

raised Lazarus

from the dead.

They have

no way

to put

those rumors

to death

since

there were

tons of

witnesses

to this.

And it was

the Jewish

leader's idea,

wait a minute,

this is so undeniable,

here's our only option,

we've got to kill

Lazarus.

That's how bizarre

it got.

It was undeniable

the truth that

Jesus had the ability

to raise the dead.

The issue for

the Jewish leaders

was they were

trying to teach

and proclaim

that Jesus

was doing

his miracles

by the power

of Satan.

That's a big

issue

because

the man

is clearly

divine.

The man

is clearly

approved

by God

and Jesus

in Jerusalem

when he's

pronouncing

woes

on the Pharisees

for their

false self-righteousness,

their false

form of Judaism,

which was

completely foreign

to Moses

and the prophets.

The Father

speaks from heaven.

These people

are trying

to have

Jesus

arrested,

put to death

according to

God's sovereign

redemptive plan

and Jesus

says,

Father,

glorify your name.

And the Father

speaks for the

whole crowd

to hear.

These people

who are

the Pharisees

are saying,

no,

don't listen

to him.

Jesus

says,

Father,

glorify your

name.

God

speaks from

heaven

for all

to hear.

I have

glorified it

and I

will glorify

it again.

With

that being

said,

let's

begin

unpacking

our text

today.

This is

the theology

of the

incarnation.

Paul

begins

with this,

verse 6,

The phrase

form of

God

here is

very

important.

Okay?

Paul uses

this Greek

word

morphe.

This is

referring

to Christ

already

existing

as God.

It

refers

to

Christ

possessing

the nature

and status

as God.

And this

is reinforced

by the

next phrase

Paul uses,

equality

with God.

He came

in the

form of

God,

actual,

eternal

God,

and he

was willing

to not

hold on

to that

status.

Paul

said he

didn't

count

equality

with God

a thing

to be

held

on

to.

Paul

is not

describing

a mere

human being

who later

became

divine.

He

starts

with Christ

already

existing

as God.

And I

love this

in John

17,

Father,

only someone

who is

equal with

God

could pray

in this

way.

Father,

glorify

me

with the

glory

that I

had

with you

before

the

world

existed.

He

did not

give up

his

deity,

okay?

We need

to understand

this.

Paul

continues,

but emptied

himself,

Philippians

2,

7.

The key

question

is,

how did

Christ

empty

himself?

What

does he

mean by

he emptied

himself?

Paul

explains,

taking

on the

morphe

of a

servant,

being

born in

the likeness

of men.

Now,

he exists

in the

form of

God.

He

emptied

himself

by taking

on the

form of

a servant

or a

slave,

a doulos,

being born

in the

likeness

of men.

Now,

notice that

the

emptying

occurs

by

taking

on,

not

surrendering

anything,

okay?

He does

not say,

okay,

he does

not say

he emptied

himself

by ceasing

to be

God.

He emptied

himself

for a

time

during his

humiliation

salvation

by adding

to himself

a true

human nature

with a

true

human mind,

born

under the

law,

born

as our

brother

prayed in

a lowly

manger.

The

eternal

son,

the

eternal

creator

condescended

and he

added to

himself

a true

human nature,

the

eternal

son

of God,

uncreated,

all-powerful,

became

the

incarnate

son.

So he

emptied

himself

by adding

humanity

and

assuming

the

role

of

an

obedient

slave.

Dr.

Stephen

Wellam

bringing

clarity

to this,

the

son

remained

truly

and

fully

God

during

the

incarnation.

He

did not

surrender

omniscience,

omnipotence,

or any

other divine

attribute.

Rather,

in becoming

human,

he willingly

took on

the role

of a

servant

and chose

to live

in obedience

to the

Father

according

to his

human

nature.

The

emptying

is seen

primarily

in his

humiliation,

taking on

true humanity,

accepting the

limitations of

human life,

and ultimately

submitting to

death on a

cross.

The passage

is deliberately

contrasting in

verse 6 and

7,

form of

God,

form of

servant.

And the

word

morphe,

Paul uses

intentionally to

communicate,

he really

is eternally

God,

he really

did become

truly human.

Paul does

not say

that Christ

exchanged

one form

for another,

but rather,

the one who

is in the

form of

God took

on the

form of

an obedient

slave.

The same

eternal

person of

the Son

in the

incarnation,

incarnation,

this is

incomprehensible,

by the way.

If this

sounds confusing,

it is,

okay?

But we

want to be

diligent because

it's in the

text,

it's God's

given it to

us for us

to love and

trust and

understand and

confess and

defend and

die for.

The same

eternal

person of

the Son

in the

incarnation

now possesses

both a

divine nature

and a

human nature.

He is.

He is the

God-man.

His

humiliation

is his

becoming

human

and

obedient.

We also

read from

the

catechism

of his

exaltation.

I love

this quote

by Dr.

MacArthur

that

the stone

was rolled

away

not to

let Jesus

out,

but to

let the

witnesses

in.

How do we

know that?

Because later

that night,

they're locked

in a room,

it intentionally

says doors

are shut

and locked,

windows are

boarded up,

and Jesus

appears in

the midst

of them,

in his

human body.

His

exalted,

glorified state

of his

new creation

body

has

different

limitations.

His

new

glorified

human

body

is made

for the

new

world,

which we

ourselves

will be

given as

well.

No sin,

no death,

no pain,

no crying.

He will

wipe away

every tear.

And I

love that

because

it is a

reminder for

us

that there

are better

days ahead.

Here's a

question,

I think a

good question.

Now,

what is

your appeal

to heaven?

When you

think about,

man,

I can't

wait to

go to

heaven,

what are

you thinking

about?

Now,

obviously,

for some

people,

okay,

they have

physical

disabilities

or things,

they're really

looking forward

to having

a new

body,

that's

totally

understandable.

But,

what's

your appeal

to heaven?

Is it

simply because

you just

want no

hell?

Is it

simply

because

you

want

the big

mansion

prepared for

you,

the crown?

What are

you thinking

about?

You know

what I'm

thinking

about?

I'm

thinking

about

unhindered

true

communion

with a

trying

God.

God.

He is

the

prize.

All of

the other

things,

the blessing

and the

sonship

and the

sitting on

his throne

with him

and all

that,

no,

that's not

our motive.

Our motive

is we

want to be

with him.

We want

to truly

see him

as he

is,

love him

as he

is.

Let that

be your

motivation.

Look,

we live

in a

materialistic,

sinful

world where

all we

can think

about is

getting

something

else.

Now,

we must

be

heaven-minded.

We must

be.

Because

true love

for God

is what

motivates us

and motivated

the apostles

to be

beheaded

and crucified.

Some of

our

Protestant

brothers

being

tied to

a stake

and set

on fire

with

the

attitude

Hugh

Latimer,

Calvin

Ridley

have the

flames

coming up

to their

feet.

Mr.

Ridley

play the

man.

For

we will

have

sorry

he says

we will

have

good

dinner.

we will

have a

good

dinner

with

the

Lord

tonight.

And

we

shall

set

such a

fire

in

England

that

will

never

be

put

out.

So

Paul,

here's a

reminder,

do you think

about this?

Paul was

literally

killing

Christians.

the

risen

Christ

appeared

to him.

He's

now

writing

us

this

text

exalting

the

son

whom

he was

just

executing

people

for

professing

him.

This

is

true.

Paul,

who

was

formerly

Saul,

describes

this

downward

movement.

ask

yourself

this

question.

If you

are at

the

state

of the

exalted

eternal

son,

are you

willing

to come

be

flogged,

beaten,

murdered,

slaughtered,

spit on,

falsely accused,

false trial?

Are you

doing that

if you're

God?

This is

hard to

comprehend

that God

would do

such a

thing.

It

elevates

the

gospel

message.

Paul

describes

the

downward

movement.

He

existed

in the

form of

God,

truly

God,

took

on the

form of

a

slave,

servant,

really

a

slave,

truly

human,

truly

obedient

servant,

being

born as

a man,

humbling

himself,

God

humbling

himself,

becoming

obedient

unto

death,

even

death

on a

cross.

The

humiliation,

listen,

is not

that he

ceased

being

God.

The

humiliation

is this,

that the

divine

son

entered

the

conditions

of human

weakness,

suffering,

and death,

so that

he might

store up

for us

a perfect

righteousness

that will

be imputed

to us.

He was

perfectly

a little

baby.

And then,

if you can

imagine,

sinless,

perfect,

obedient

toddler,

and then

a young

man,

and then

a teenager,

and then

a fully

grown adult

man,

perfectly

sinless,

obedient,

loving,

worships

truly,

worships

with a

right mind.

after

describing

Christ's

humiliation,

he goes

on to

say in

verse 9,

therefore,

God has

highly

exalted

him and

bestowed

on him

the name

that is

above

every

name.

And at

the name

of Jesus,

every knee

should bow,

and every

tongue

confess that

Jesus Christ

is Lord.

Now,

this language

is taken

exactly

and precisely

from Isaiah

Isaiah 45:23

45,

verse 23,

where it is

Yahweh

himself speaking.

In Isaiah,

it reads

this,

to me,

Yahweh,

the true

and living

triune

God,

every tongue

shall swear

allegiance.

Who's Paul

apply that to?

He applies

it to

Christ.

The same

way in

which the

apostle John

applies Isaiah's

vision of

Yahweh in

Isaiah 6,

the holy,

holy,

holy text,

the whom,

who will go,

who will send

me text,

of Yahweh

sitting on the

throne,

and the robes

and the train

of his garment

filling the

temple.

John says,

Isaiah saw

Christ.

And now Paul

is saying,

hey,

in Isaiah,

every knee

shall bow

to me,

every tongue

swear allegiance

to me.

Paul applies

that to

Christ.

Thus,

the one

who became

man

is still

worthy of

worship

that belongs

only to

God.

And you

know,

here's the

thing.

You're going

to meet

plenty of

people,

false

teachers,

mainly

deceived

people,

okay,

who have

been wrongly

taught by

cults their

whole life

on wrong

things about

Christ.

They're

going to

take you

to all

of the

texts

that clearly

are teaching

of his

humanity.

He was

tired.

He slept.

In some

cases,

he says he

didn't know

the day or

the hour.

Well,

that's his

humanity on

display,

because the

eternal son

who became

man,

okay,

is still

truly and

fully and

totally God.

But,

he has

a true

human brain

and mind

and emotions

and soul.

The eternal

person of

Christ,

during his

humiliation,

lived his

human life

by the power

of the

spirit.

The spirit

is pushing

him into

the wilderness.

The spirit

is telling

him what

he ought

to say,

what he

ought to

speak,

where he

ought to

go.

Hey,

we're

going to

have to

go through

Samaria.

I've

got an

eternal

divine

plan

there.

I've

got to

meet

someone

there.

He is

truly God

and truly

human.

They're

going to

try and

take you

to those

verses

and prove

to you,

see,

he's not

God.

He says

right here

he doesn't

know.

He can't

be God.

No,

he is

God

and he

is human.

And

he lived

inwardly

and outwardly

a perfect

righteous

and holy

life without

sin.

And we

got to

think about

this as

well.

He didn't

just fulfill

the whole

law according

to all

of the

commands given

to Israel

from Moses.

Of course

he did.

He lived

a holy

life without

sin,

fulfilling

the whole

law.

But at

the same

time,

this is

probably

even more

important,

every

thought,

every

inner

desire,

all of

his

affections,

were

holy

and

blameless.

He

absorbed

the

wrath

due to

all

those

who

would

believe

on

the

cross.

He

validated

his

lordship

by being

raised

and he

is the

firstborn

of the

new

creation.

He

is the

first

new

created

man.

He

is the

new

Adam

of the

new

creation.

And now

the

crowned

exalted

God

man

inherits

the

entire

creation

with

all

of the

worship,

all

of the

glory

and

honor

that

comes

with

it

that

he

is

worthy

of.

So

Paul's

argument

looks like

this.

So

Philippians 2

teaches

not that

Jesus

stopped

being

God

at all.

It does

not

teach

that.

But

it

teaches

that

the

eternal

divine

son

added

human

nature

and

entered

a

state

of

humiliation

while

remaining

fully

divine

truly

God.

So

this is

why many

theologians

see

Philippians 2

as this

summary.

Okay?

Pre-existent

uncreated

eternal

deity

incarnation

taking

on human

flesh

humiliation

suffering

obedience

having to

deal

with

living

in a

sin

cursed

world

yet

being

perfectly

holy

and

obedient

the

entire

time.

Being

crucified

which is

not just

being

crucified

he

absorbed

God's

eternal

wrath

in our

place

and

exaltation

after his

resurrection.

This

man

who is

also

God

is being

rewarded

for his

perfect

obedience

and his

exaltation.

This is so

vitally

important for

us to

remember

and to

meditate

on.

Meditate

on.

People think

meditate means

go sit in

your room

and be

quiet,

turn out

the lights.

Meditation

really is

thinking.

When you're

driving in

your car,

what are you

thinking about?

When you're

going on a

walk,

what are you

thinking about?

When you're

laying in bed

at night,

what are you

thinking about?

you think

of these

things,

you put

your mind

on these

things,

you meditate

and think

on these

things

regularly,

your inner

man is

going to

be

transformed.

You're

going to

be provoked

when you

hear Christ

dishonored.

You're

going to

desire more

to boldly

evangelize the

people whom

you're so

normally afraid

of speaking

truth to.

We've

got to

meditate on

this,

think of

it as

often as

we can

because for

too many

people,

really,

the gospel

is just

this word

that gets

thrown around

and just

becomes

meaningless

to them.

We're

talking about

God becoming

man and

absorbing

your sin,

your

immorality,

your

blasphemy,

your lying,

your dishonoring

him,

your sinfulness.

The eternal

blameless

son was

treated on

the cross

by God

as if he

lived your

life.

That is

why there

is no

room for

boasting.

For our

sake,

2 Corinthians

5,

21,

he made

him to

be sin,

who knew

no sin,

so that

in him we

might become

the righteousness

of God.

You know

why Jesus

was bleeding

sweat drops

of blood

in the

garden?

Because an

eternal divine

holy person

is contemplating

becoming sin

for us.

We can't

imagine that.

Through his

human nature,

that right,

holy,

non-sinful,

anxious

thoughts is

made evident

through his

human faculties.

He is

truly,

sorry,

let me say

it this way,

only because

this is

important,

okay,

because if you

look,

you cannot

have the

attitude,

well,

does this

matter?

Like,

yeah,

I mean,

my friend

denies the

deity of

Christ,

and you

know,

he believes

Jesus is a

good teacher,

right?

Isn't that

good enough?

He believes

in Jesus.

Does that

matter?

Absolutely

it matters.

Does sound

doctrine matter?

Yes.

Listen,

only because

Jesus is

truly God

could he

provide an

infinite

atonement.

Only because

he is truly

man could

he die

in our

place as

our

representative.

Reject

either,

and the

gospel is

emptied of

its saving

power.

that is

why

whenever I

meet someone

who

says they're

a Christian,

and look,

it's not from